DANGEROUS ANIMALS
Sean Byrne earns an honest-to-goodness “Fuck Yeah,” with the opening of his latest film, DANGEROUS ANIMALS. The plot centers around a shark-obsessed serial killer and the ritualistic murder of tourists. What he doesn’t count on is surfer Zephyr and her survival instincts.
The cinematography is stunning. The score is epic. The soundtrack is perfect. Writer Nick Lepard skillfully navigates tongue-in-cheek jokes, social graces, survival tactics, and one crazy motherfucker. Location is key. Zephyr is trapped.
Josh Heuston is Moses. Relentlessly charming and earnest, Moses tries his damnedest to find Zephyr, but his fate may be closer to any of the boy toys in the SCREAM franchise. Heuston is much more than a vapid heartthrob. He is an admirable scene partner, and you want more of him.
Jai Courtney is diabolical. He is equal parts terrifying and mesmerizing. This is Buffalo Bill-style fuckery, and holy shit, does Courtney deserve all the applause and recognition. I would watch prequels centered on Tucker, but only if Courtney reprises the role. 
Hassie Harrison is a childhood trauma-fueled badass. Harrison commands your attention and takes risks. She could carry any film. She is Final Girl heaven.
DANGEROUS ANIMALS is my actual worst nightmare. I still think a shark will somehow come through a pool drain and eat me. So, obviously, it had me from the get-go. The film is as sadistic as HOSTEL. Think the opening scene of JAWS on steroids. The violence ramps up as the film rolls on, and Zephyr’s escape plans keep us on the hook. DANGEROUS ANIMALS is undeniably one of the year’s most intense films.
Directed by Sean Byrne (THE DEVIL’S CANDY, THE LOVED ONES)
Starring Jai Courtney (SUICIDE SQUAD), Hassie Harrison (YELLOWSTONE), Josh Heuston (DUNE: PROPHECY)
Trapped on a killer’s boat with hungry sharks circling below, a surfer must outwit a predator more dangerous than the ocean itself—will she escape, or become the next offering to the deep? Sean Byrne returns with his third visceral feature, DANGEROUS ANIMALS, exclusively in theaters June 6, 2025.
Roy hates his life. He brings some serious childhood baggage, and his job as a radio interviewer sucks the life out of him. As he attempts suicide in a motel room, he catches a glimpse of a life-sized Monkey through his window. As he comes to, Roy finds said Monkey driving his airstream down the empty roads. The audience quickly comes to realize this is not a hallucination but a woman dressed in a costume and putting on a voice.
The woman in the suit is Jane. She uses Monkey as a coping mechanism to flee her stepfather, and the root of all her sadness. Both Roy and Jane have specific plans that are so outrageous that they agree to accompany one another on their journeys. Roy plans to dig up his abusive cop father and steal the watch he thought he had inherited. Jane wants to find a way to buy a pontoon boat and run banana boat rides as Monkey.
Shenoah Allen gives Roy a lived-in exhaustion. There is a gentleness that pulls you into his sphere. Conti is phenomenal as she navigates comedy through the suit, but also manages to rip your heart out. She uses humor to convey the hurt. It is a love story between two deeply wounded adults. Allen and Conti do not hold back in the dialogue. They take risks in every beat. 
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As Tom, Michael Steger walks a razor-thin line between a good guy and a total creep. Steger is formidable. Equal parts charming and terrifying, it’s a compelling turn. Genre icon Veronica Cartwright gives Olivia everything she has. The performance is a beautiful balancing act of dementia and regal articulation. She is mesmerizing. Each beat is perfect. Madelyn Dundon plays Dale with a grounded familiarity. She is vulnerable and relatable. Mema puts her through the emotional ringer, and Dundon keeps up like a pro.
Mena’s score adds to the menacing feeling. The jump scares are legit. Mena executes thoughtfully written relationship-building while skillfully dropping clues to the mystery. Mena plays with small-town gossip, isolation, and a nurse’s instincts. THE RUSE boasts a twist that will f*ck you up. You are not prepared for the final 3rd of this film. This is a story about control. If you think you know where this screenplay is going, think again.
ROSARIO
Carlos Osorio‘s production design brims with sumptuous, decaying jewel tones. The practical FX are fantastic. Carmen Cabana‘s cinematography is mesmerizing. With deliberate blink-and-you-won’t-miss-it moments, the jarring tilt of the camera, and each choice begs your attention.
David Dastmalchian is quickly becoming a Scream King. His towering presence as neighbor Joe adds a level of genre validity. The majority of the film relies on Emeraude Toubia‘s solo performance. She steps up to the plate with effortless presence and fierceness.
Screenwriter Alan Trezza delivers twists and turns, not to mention some shocking but well-utilized fight scenes. However, I do think both Rosario and Joe deserved a happier outcome. ROSARIO is a mix of lore, denied culture, grief, and regret. Even our best intentions are no match for the universe’s plans.
THE MOOGAI
Barely tolerating her birthmother, Ruth, Sarah’s whitewashed existence comes to a halt when an ancient entity rears its ugly head. Sarah’s aggression heightens as her delusions increase. She quickly spirals out of control in every aspect of her life. Sarah’s husband, Fergus, embraces his culture and does his best to navigate his familial deterioration.
The break between Sarah and her first child, Chloe, is heartbreaking. There’s no denying her resemblance to Fergus has something to do with Sarah’s icy response. The connection between Chloe, Fergus, and Ruth burns Sarah’s limited understanding of her absent culture. Ruth tries her best to protect her family, but Sarah’s relentless resistance to her roots only makes them manifest quicker as lore becomes reality and history repeats itself.
Jahdeana Mary brings earnest innocence and hurt to Chloe. You want to hug her. Meyne Wyatt is great playing Fergus. He is charming and protective. He’s a real highlight. Tessa Rose is spectacular as Ruth, giving audiences lived-in knowledge and fear. She is the heart of the film. Shari Sebbens gives Sarah everything from elitism to postpartum depression, unbridled rage to superstitious anxiety. You simultaneously loathe and feel for her. Sebbens is truly a revelation.
Practical FX, makeup, and jump scares are solid. THE MOOGAI keenly delves into medical gaslighting and the pressure on women to “do it all.” While the film is also a creature feature, Jon Bell never shies away from showing viewers that the scariest monsters are humans. It is a surprising cultural reclamation.
UnBroken
Lane pieces together the Weber children’s story using archival footage, family photos, letters of eldest brother Alfons, and the foggy memories of the five remaining sisters. She travels to Berlin, stopping at each location where the siblings were hidden and nurtured. Lane discovers her grandfather’s original fascist concentration camp papers and the entry log of all seven children in a nunnery, finding that her mother Bela’s instinct about her middle name was correct.
Misfit delivers enchanting line-drawn animation to fill in the visual gaps. Aaron Soffin and Dina Guttmann’s editing is award-worthy. Jonathan Snipes’ score is haunting. The film plays out like historical fiction from one moment to the next.
One particularly intriguing moment happens as Beth runs into a small group of young people listening to music outside the siblings’ old apartment. After she tells them what the film is about, she asks if they would hide her if history repeats itself. Their honesty will burn into your memory. The echoes of trauma and triumph rear their ugly heads in many ways, but the knowledge that in saving seven siblings, there are now 72 thriving Weber family members is something to celebrate.
The similarities to the systematic dismantling of the United States’ democracy should serve as a stark warning, but UnBroken also shines a light on the goodness of the human heart. One phrase from the film perfectly captures the message. “When you’re faced with adversity, who do you become?”
Two friends trudge through a Michigan forest 
Sophie Mara Baaden plays six-year-old Sadie with authentic innocence and sass. She has wonderful chemistry with Campbell. Lesley Ann Warren plays Nora’s waspy mother and provides the stereotypical artist’s parent doubtful “I told you so” tone. Nick Fink is fantastic as Sadie’s first-grade teacher Adam. He and Campbell are a striking duo. It doesn’t hurt that his singing voice Is delicious.
The script nails the loss of personal identity when a woman becomes a mother. The invisible labor and patriarchal structure often lead to isolation and lingering resentment. It delves into self-loathing and body changes. It tackles suburban social pressure, which can be a lot. On the flip side, she also perfectly captures the love-filled hyping up we do for our kids every single day. 
Campbell is ceaselessly charming. She is funny, self-effacing, anxiety-ridden, and pottymouthed, just the way I like my fellow Moms. As a woman who gave up a career performing to be a supportive partner and mother, NORA fills my soul with a knowing. 
ZERO
Fast-paced editing and augmented sound effects keep you engaged from the first frame. The concept combines the adrenaline of SAW and SPEED, but it’s funnier and inevitably much darker. The soundtrack is fantastic. Gregory Turbellier‘s camerawork is immersive and sharp.
Leading players Hus Miller (who also co-writes) and Cam McHarg have fiery chemistry, each delivering fully flushed-out characters even if we know the most basic information about them. They make a great on-screen team. I would love to see this entire crew create more projects together.
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The chance meeting of Fuentes and Luckey gives us insight into a music industry mystery. Diane, aka Q Lazzarus, tells us her history with music, beginning in her childhood Baptist church choir. She knew her tastes were different and embraced her unique and powerhouse presence. 
With all the elements of a successful career at her fingertips, her romance with club promoter Richard slowly changed things for the worse. The lack of recognition took its toll. Richard’s leaving, combined with the Philadelphia soundtrack snub, was the final straw, and the drugs introduced by Richard led to Q’s world crumbling. But out of destitution and depression, Q rises from the ashes of sex work, crack addiction, rehab, finding her husband, getting clean, and fighting to bring her son James home. 
James, now an adult, encourages his mother to reclaim her work. Eva, Q, and her former bandmates plan an upcoming concert. Chasing the dream of finally making her music and onstage persona a household name. Q’s newfound enthusiasm is infectious. Even though life had different plans, Q Lazzarus and Diane Luckey gave us one unforgettable story.
SEVEN VEILS
In SEVEN VEILS, filmmaker Atom Egoyan examines the exploitation of female trauma. The line of art and life blur completely as a protege director remounts her mentor’s production of Salome with an unusually intimate touch.
Egoyan’s editing is complex. It forces you to keep up. It is both the film’s best and worst aspect. If you drop focus, the film will run away from you in its artistic endeavor. The juxtaposition of Jeanine’s childhood, her marriage, and the play is a whirlwind of obsession. The play is a visceral therapy session and a reclamation of her past.
Amanda Seyfried has a knowing in her eyes. Her commitment to Salome’s text feels organic and seeped in trauma. Seyfried owns this character. It’s a brilliant and immensely heartbreaking turn.
It is far too simplistic to describe the film’s plot as a story of a suffering artist. SEVEN VEILS digs into gross power dynamics and the financial advantage of oppressing female truth. SEVEN VEILS emits a dangerous and formidable energy.
THE RULE OF JENNY PEN
After suffering a stroke, Stefan must convalesce in an assisted living facility that also houses a psychotic patient who tortures the residents with a creepy hand puppet. Based on Owen Marshall‘s short story, James Ashcroft brings THE RULE OF JENNY PEN to life in all its skin-crawling glory. 
THE STRESS IS KILLING ME
You know these characters. They are quirky, anxiety-riddled, moody, unhappy, hopeful, and exhausted. Ya know, all the things we are in our 40s. The cast has a fun chemistry. It’s easy to imagine that they are friends in real life, and they concocted this film throughout the weekend. Misery loves company. 
Each character delves into regrets and what-ifs. The script examines mortality, imposter syndrome, and the patterns we fall into with old friends. While it’s still slightly goofy and relatively predictable, THE STRESS IS KILLING ME is an enjoyable walk down memory lane. It’s a comfort watch. 
SXSW 2025
Director: Gerard Johnson, Producers: John Jencks, Isabel Freer, Matthew James Wilkinson, Patrick Tolan, Screenwriters: Gerard Johnson, Austin Collings
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Director/Screenwriter: Kaspar Astrup Schröder, Producers: Maria Helga Stürup, Katrine A. Sahlstrøm
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Director/Screenwriter: Chelsea Christer, Producers: Clinton Trucks, Alexa Rocero, David B. Lyons
Director/Screenwriter: Lucy Davidson, Producers: Vanessa Batten, Amy Upchurch
SUPERBOYS OF MALEGAON![Superboys of Malegaon (2024) poster - [www.imdb.com]](https://i0.wp.com/reelnewsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/Superboys-of-Malegaon-2024-poster-www.imdb_.com_.png?resize=678%2C856&ssl=1)
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The story jumps to 2004, only to find Nasir’s original success waning. His crew of friends finally grasp how he has coveted the spotlight and the money. When loyalty and interest in Nasir’s parodies wear thin by 2010, devastating news prompts cinematic and relationship magic.
LOCKJAW
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Blu Hunt is a comic genius. She has that it-girl quality. I’m buying whatever she’s selling at all times. Her commitment to the dialogue or a particular gag is chef’s kiss. Hunt recently wowed me in The Dead Thing. She is just as compelling in Lockjaw.
Eric McGinty‘s STOCKADE follows Ahlam, a Lebanese woman trying to get her artist’s visa extended in NYC. To pay her lawyer, she agrees to deliver a package upstate. 
Halfway through the story goes in an entirely bizarre direction when Richard doesn’t show up, Paul isn’t answering the phone, and two strangers appear in the house demanding the contents of the package. Suddenly, easy money is not so easy after all.
While the rest of the cast is mediocre at best, Sarah Bitar is spectacular. She has a commanding presence about her. Ahlam holds unspoken trauma and guilt from leaving her family in Beruit. Bitar holds you captive with her fierce energy. She is the reason to watch this film.
Čejen Černić Čanak profound Berlinale drama SANDBAG DAM follows Marko, an athletic young man navigating his younger brother, school, sports, and girlfriend, Petra. His life upends when Slaven returns home for his father’s funeral. With the threat of flooding in his small Croatian village, his long-lost feelings for Slaven threaten everything.
Marko exists in a traditionally masculine environment. His father is a mechanic, training him to take over the business and compete in an upcoming arm wrestling competition. His free time consists of drinking at parties and attending to his eager-to-please girlfriend. Then, his seemingly easy life suddenly halts when Slaven returns after three years and no goodbye.
The story slowly reveals itself with an innocent bitterness and longing. If you go into the film blind, nothing is spoonfed to the audience. It is beautifully paced. The homophobia in Sandbag Dam is excruciating. The weaponization of hurt and ignorance is devastating.
The performances are spectacular. Leon Grgić is endearing as younger brother Fićo. He has a genuine star quality. His purity will make your heartache. Andrija Žunac gives Slaven an authenticity that is calming. His unapologetic aura is sensational. Lav Novosel delivers a pitch-perfect turn as Marko. Torn between the life he yearns for and the one he feels forced to accept, Novosel brings us on an emotional roller coaster we have no control over. You feel the conflict in your soul.
The film has a similar energy to Brokeback Mountain. Its restrained tension is waiting to burst at any moment. There is no denying the double entendre of the title. As the floodwaters rise, so do the tensions of secrets and feelings. Screenwriter Tomislav Zajec provides stunning metaphors. SANDBAG DAM is an important story. It is one that so many LGBTQ youth must endure. The final moments will have you talking about this film long after the credits roll.
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